Refrigerating cabinet



March 9, 1937. c. E. QUINN. 2,073,175

REFRIGERATING CABINET Filed March 14, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Clam E- Q aim? ATTORNEYS March 9, 193 7.

' c. E. QUINN 2,073,175

REFRIGERATING CABINET Filed March 14, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. V 59' C/amQ u/'nn ATTORNEY 5 lit lesta rear RENEE PATENT OFFlC 2,073,175 BEFRKGERATING CABINET Application March 14, 1936, Serial No. 68,861 a @laims. (Cl. 62-915) This invention involves improvements in refrigerating cabinets of the type employing a solid refrigerant, such as solid carbon dioxide, as a primary refrigerant and a volatile liquid as the secondary refrigerant circulating in a closed circulatory system in heat exchange relation with the space to be refrigerated and withthe solid refrigerant.

A general object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of this type so arranged, constructed and proportioned that the heat absorbing capacity of intensely cold solid carbon dioxide may be efficiently avail d of to maintain the storage cornpartment of the cabinet at desired temperatures.

A further object of this invention involves the disposal of heat absorbing portion of the closed circulatory system within the cabinet so as to be in the path of the convection currents of the atmosphere of the cabinet, the movement of which is facilitated by the internal arrangement of the parts of the apparatus.

.s. still further object of the invention is to so construct the heat absorbing portion of the closed circulatory system which contacts with the con= veotion currents so as to increase the area or" contact and to guide the air currents and encourage their movement.

These and other objects as will appear from the following disclosure are secured by means of apparatus, one form of which is illustrated in the attached drawings.

invention resides substantially in the combination, construction, arrangement and relative location of parts, all as will be described in greater detail in the following specification.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a form of apparatus by which the principles of this invention may be illustrated;

Figure 2 is a vertical, longitudinal, cross sectional view through the apparatus;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional line l-t of Figure l; and

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the closed circulatory system for the secondary refrigerant.

The invention has been illustrated in the drawings in the form of a so-called six hole. ice cream cabinet, constructed so as to receive six containers of'ice cream in a manner so that their contents are readily available.

The device is shown as comprising a cabinet constructed of suitable heat insulating material and comprising generally the bottom wall I, the

view taken on the l0 and at the other end to the container it on end walls 2, 2, the side walls 3, 3 and the top wall 4. The details 01' construction of this cabinet will not be further explored since it is, of course, apparent that it may assume many forms of construction. As illustrated, the top wall of the 5 cabinet is provided with a number of openings which are normally sealed by the closure members 5 and 6. The closure member is arranged to give access to the compartment which receives the solid refrigerant, and the closure members 6 are arranged to give access to the individual ice cream containers. The space within the cabinet, accessible through the openings sealed by the closure members 6, is divided longitudinally into two parts by means of a perforated or foramincus wall, which is illustrated in the drawings as comprising a rigid frame 2 on which: is mounted a screen 8. Extending transversely of this screen at its lefthand end (Figure 2) so as to divide the interior space of the cabinet into two parts is another perforated or foraminous wall Q. In the smaller "space to the left of the wall is mounted the closed circulatory system. This comprises a metallic container lb, one side of which extends upwardly, as illustrated at it, for a much greater distance than the other side; The top ll of the container it forms the heat coir ducting wall upon which the solid refrigerant, rests and is surrounded by a flanged extension M of the container shaped and proportioned to receive a tubular wooden shell it open at both ends. While this. shell has been illustrated as wood, it is apparent that it can be made of other suitable heat insulating material. This shell snugly fits onto the flanges H3 at its lower end and engages a metal sleeve it which extends up into the top of the cabinet and defines the opening sealed by the closure member 5. At ll are a lit plurality of metallic pipes or conduits each coo nected at one end to the bottom of the container the high side 12 and at a point considerably above the bottom of the container. These pipes are arranged to extend towards the perforated wall 9 and to each is secured a substantially L-shaped 45 thin metal fin or wall It). These fins are attached to the conduits in heat exchange relation, as for example by welding. The fins are arranged in parallel relation, as will be apparent from Figures 4 and 5, and provide a plurality of shallow, ver- 50 tically extending conduits or passageways, each of which contains one of the pipes I1. The container I0 is preferably surrounded with walls 19 of suitable heat insulating material so as to substantially prevent direct heat exchange between 55 the container and the atmosphere of the cabinet. The secondary refrigerant is diagrammatically illustrated at 13' in Figure 2 which is filled into the container to about the level indicated at normal 5 operating temperatures, thus providing space for expansion of the liquid at room temperature when the device is not in operation. The secondary refrigerant may be introduced into the-container through an opening closed by the screw plug 20, see Figure 5. The temperature to be maintained in the cabinet, all other factors being assumed or fixed, may be predetermined or varied by varying the point of connection of the upper ends of the pipes I! to the high side l2 in a vertical direction. The higher up on the side I! the point of connection is made the higher will be the temperaturein the cabinet. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the temperature gradient of the liquid within the container III has a rising characteristic from the bottom upwardly. By the construction illustrated, it will be seen that the atmosphere within the cabinet may readily circulate thermo-syphonically, and the warmer air will move across the top of the cabinet and downward past the conduits l1 and the fins l8 where their heat is lost. The chilled 'air will then fall to the bottom of the cabinet moving towards the right'and upwardly. In a similar way, the secondary refrigerant, which is coldest at the bottom of container It, will move outwardly through the pipes I! to their vertical portions, then upwardly to the upper horizontal portions and then back into the con-'- tainer after having absorbed heat from the air convection currents. The warm liquid will then give up its heat to the solid refrigerant, completing its cycle and moving in the closed circulatory system, likewise in thermo-syphonic action. L

It will be noted, as illustrated in Figure 2, that the wooden or insulating wall [5 of the tubular shell adjacent the high side I2 of the metal container is thicker than the other walls for the purpose of minimizing direct heat exchange be- 45 tween the liquid in the high side and the solid refrigerant. The secondary refrigerant preferably loses its heat by conduction through the wall II. This arrangement ensures more positive circulation of the fluid under thermo-syphonic v50 force.

The invention as illustrated in the attached drawings may, of course take any physical forms, and I do not, therefore, desire to be limited to the drawings as given for purposes of illustration 55 but prefer limitation by the appended claims only.

What I seek to secure by Letters Patent" is:

i. In an apparatus as described, a heat insulating cabinet, a metallic container mounted in said cabinet and heat insulated therefrom, said con- 60 talner being formed to support a solid refrigerant in heat exchange relation therewith, a closed circulatory system for a secondary refrigerant connected to said container at spaced points and comprising a plurality of metallic conduits 5 exposed to the interior of the cabinet, perforated walls mounted in the cabinet to divide it into storage spaces while permitting circulation of air currents within the cabinet, and a metallic fin secured to each of the conduits and arranged in 7 parallel relation therewith to provide a plurality of vertical passages.

2. A refrigerating apparatus as described, comprising a heat insulated cabinet having a plurality of openings in the top, closure means for 75 win said penin s, a perforated a l mounted in the cabinet and dividing the space below said openings, a metallic container mounted within the cabinet enclosed within a heat insulating shell, said container formed to provide a wall for supporting a solid refrigerant, said cabinet having an opening in the top above said wall, means for sealing said opening, and a plurality of metallic conduits having horizontal and vertical porcasing enclosed within a heat insulating shell,

said container formed to provide a wall for supporting a solid refrigerant, said casing having an opening in the top above said wall, means for sealing said opening, a plurality of metallic con duits having horizontal and vertical portions exposed to the interior of said casing, said conduits being connected at one end'to the bottom ofv said container and at the other end to the side of said container, and metallic fins secured to the horizontal and vertical portions of said conduits and disposed in spaced parallel relation to provide a plurality of passages for guiding the convection currents of the casing along the conduits in heat exchange relation therewith.

4. A refrigerating apparatus as described, comvfprising a heat insulating casing provided with openings and removable closure means therefor,

a metal wall within the casing arranged to support a block of solid refrigerant, a metallic jacket connected to said wall to form a closed space, one side of said jacket extending a considerable distance above said wall, means for insulating the wall and jacket from exposure to the air currents within the casing, a plurality of conduits connected to said jacket, each at one end near the bottom of the jacket and each at the other end near the top of the jacket, portions of said conduits being exposed to the interior of said casin and a perforated wall separating the exposed portions of the conduits from the free space in the casing.

5. A refrigerating apparatus as described, comprising a heat insulating casing provided with openings and removable closure means therefor, a metal wall within the casing arranged to support a block of solid refrigerant, a metallic jacket connected to said wall to form a closed space, one

, side of said jacket extending a considerable distance above said wall, means for insulating the wall and jacket from exposure to the air currents within the casing, a plurality of conduits connected to said jacket, each at one end near the bottom of the jacket and each at the other end near the top of the jacket, portions of said conduits being exposed to the interior of said casing, and a heat insulating shell extending upwardly from said wall to the top of the casing for isolating the solid refrigerant from direct exposure to the jacket.

6. A refrigerating apparatus as described, comprising a heat insulating casing provided with openings and removable closure means therefor, a metal wall within the casing arranged to support a block of solid refrigerant, a metallic jacket connected to said wall to form a closed space, one side of said jacket extending a considerable distance above said wall, means for insulating the wall and jacket from exposure to the air currents within the casing, a plurality of conduits connected to said jacket, each at one end near the bottom of the jacket and each at the other end near the top of the jacket, portions of said conduits being exposed to the interior of said casing, and a heat insulating shell extending upwardly from said wall to the top of the casing for isolating the solid refrigerant from direct exposure to the jacket, the wall of said shell adjacent the high side of the jacket being thicker than the other walls of the shell.

'7. A refrigerating apparatus as described, comprising a heat insulating casing provided with openings and removable closure means therefor, a metal wall within the casing arranged to support a block of solid refrigerant, a metallic jacket connected to said wall to form a closed space, one side of said jacket extending a considerable distance above said wall, means for insulating the wall and jacket from exposure to the air currents within the casing, a plurality of conduits connected to said jacket, each at one end near the bottom of the jacket and each at the other end near the top of the jacket, portions of said conduits being exposed to the interior of said casing, a heatinsulating shell extending upwardly from said wall to the top of the casing for isolating the solid refrigerant from direct exposure to the jacket, and a plurality of L-shaped metallic fins secured to said conduits to form isolated vertical passages for guiding the convection currents of a metal wall within the cabinet arranged to support a block of solid refrigerant, a metallic jacket connected to said wall to form a closed space, one side of said jacket extending a considerable distance above said wall, means for insulating the wall and jacket from exposure to the air currents within the cabinet, a plurality of conduits connected to said jacket, each at one end near the bottom of the jacket and each at the other end near the top of the jacket, portions of said conduits being exposed to the interior of said cabinet, a heat insulating shell extending upwardly from said wall to the top of the cabinet for isolating the solid refrigerant from direct exposure to the jacket, a plurality of L-shaped metallic fins secured'to said conduits to form isolated vertical passages for guiding the convec-,

tion currents of the cabinet in heat exchange relation with the conduits and the fins themselves, and perforated walls sub-dividing the space of said cabinet without interfering with the circulation of the atmosphere thereof.

CLARA. E. QUINN. 

